A LIVERPOOL intellectual property law specialist has struck a blow for companies suffering from domain name squatting.
Shipley Solicitors, based at Liverpool Science Park, acted for Airline Network in a case against a Texas company that had registered the domain name airlinenetwork.com and was using it to make money from "pay-per-click" advertising links.
The case was heard by a panel of international experts appointed by the World Intellectual Property Organisation.
Video Images Productions (VIP) argued that its website name was descriptive and the similarity with Airline Network's .co.uk site was coincidental.
But Shipley successfully countered that the domain was too similar to its client's name and that the Texan firm only registered the domain in order to capitalise on the reputation of Airline Network's brand.
The ruling established a key precedent that simply using a domain name for "pay-per-click" advertising did not give VIP any rights or legitimate interests in the domain name under dispute.
Mark Corran, who represented Airline Network for Shipley said: "There are a lot of opportunists using the internet to unfairly profit from the reputation of others.
"Companies invest significant resources to create consumer recognition of the quality products and services that they provide.
"These opportunists will frequently take advantage of this recognition to make themselves money, often causing these companies damage in doing so.
"The outcome of this case will have positive long term repercussions for any company that has been exploited in this way."